Unmanned Systems

The Maneuver Center of Excellence, the Army's proponent for ground robotics systems, is teaming with academia and industry to make Ft. Benning, GA, and the greater Columbus area the "center of gravity" for maneuver robotics, according to service officials. The site will eventually house a full capability management office under Training and Doctrine Command.

The Army is close to finishing the first phase of its plan for a new unmanned aircraft system, called Next-Generation Tactical UAS Technology Demonstrator (NGTUAS-TD), which is expected to be runway-independent and perform better than currently fielded UASs.

The Army plans to develop prototypes for one robotic combat vehicle and one optionally manned fighting vehicle, according to the Next Generation Combat Vehicle cross-functional team's director.

Commercially available, high-performance unmanned aerial systems -- when used for nefarious means  -- pose “a significant and growing threat” to U.S. forces, particularly dismounted infantry and lightly armored vehicles in the Army, Marine Corps and Special Operations Forces.

The Air Force plans to buy 29 new MQ-9 Reapers from General Atomics in fiscal year 2019, largely to replace aircraft lost in combat or those the service expects will be unusable.

The Navy should shift its focus on ship count to the capability various platforms bring to operators, according to a top unmanned systems official.

Citing a 2026 initial operational capability threshold, the Navy is seeking $234 million more than projected for its unmanned tanker program in fiscal year 2019.

The Air Force is pursuing new battle management and command-and-control efforts after abandoning the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System recapitalization program in its fiscal year 2019 budget request.

Autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities "should be central components to future war" and the Army has to prepare to integrate and protect those capabilities, according to the director of the service's Office of Business Transformation.